This month saw their latest update. Here is a breakdown of the key statistics:

91% of New Zealanders are active internet users. 70% spend 2 hours or more per day online, with 58% spending 3 hours or more. 95% of all users browse the web and 85% visit social networks.

Laptops and mobile devices are the most popular devices for accessing the internet. According to the research, 75% obtained internet access using a laptop, while 74% used a mobile phone and 70% used a desktop computer.

Significant increases in online Government interactions demonstrate that both services and consumer behaviours are maturing. 52% of New Zealanders logged in to secure areas on Government or Council websites, and 55% paid taxes, fines or licences online in the past year.

Interestingly, more commercial internet activities such as online seeking of product information, buying, banking and paying bills are at similar levels to 2013. This may indicate a level of saturation, in which case organisations can begin to focus a little less on onboarding, and more on improving the experience.

The younger a person is, the greater their internet use. However, don’t think it’s just about the millennials – for those under 45 years of age, 90% rate the internet as an important or very important source of information.

Ethnically, results show Asian and New Zealand European internet users are more highly engaged in a range of activities, such as buying things online. Pasifika people, however, are more likely to look at religious sites and, along with Māori, lead the way in subscribing to online music services.

And our widespread use of the internet is unlikely to decrease anytime soon, according to eMarketer. New Zealand ranked fourth among all markets in the region in 2016, with more than 79% of New Zealand’s population currently online.

What all these statistics demonstrate, is that, given the internet’s omnipresence, and our increasing level of reliance and comfort being online, having a clear digital strategy has never been more important.